Four corner box staying machine



Dec, 1, 1931. BRODSKY 1,834,201

FOURCORNER BOX STAYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 5 Sheets-Sheet l Inv'en Tor 7 Gagqoqy BRoDsky 1B )Htorn 92 X Dec. 1, 1931. G. BRODSKY 1,834,201

FOUR-CORNER BOX STAYING MACHINE Filed D 18, 1926 5 Sheet Sheet 2 Cuqow Bgooug B7 torn;

Filed Dec. 18, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet Inn enc or: Q-gsqaw, Bumbag j tramw- AM Dec. 1, 1931. e. BRODSKY 1,834,201

FOUR-CORNER BOX STAYING MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 ln'o'enior'. C eqotg Bimusg 1P3 JTttorne Dec.- 1, 1931. 5. BRODSKY\ 1,834,201

FOUR-CORNER BOX STAYING? MACHINE Filed Dec. 18, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Inven'lor: GKEGORZ'I k j Patented Dec. 1, 1931 umreosrarss PATENT ar GREGORY'BRODSKY, OF LONDON; ONTARIO, CAN ADA,v ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE CANADA VALVE & HYDRAN T COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF ONTARIO LTD., OF BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA,

seen, CORNER 130x STAYING- MACHINE Application filed December 18, 1926. Serial No..155,672.

My invention relates to box making machines and has for its object to provide amachine that is adapted to simultaneously apply staying strips to all four corners of a box.

Such machines are commonly knownas quad, or quadruple staying'machines and all prior machines of this type, as previously constructed have been I extremely complicated, as a single prime mover, suchas a rotating shaft, is. employed to impart mot1on simultaneously to all four corner staying elements. The problem of applying power to the staying elements is further increased by the necessary adjustments of the elements to operate on boxes of different sizes and proportions. 7

According to the present invention, I provide an improved four corner staying machine that is characterized by its extreme simplicity in construction and effectiveness in operation. My invention represents a radical departure in machines of thistype, due to the fact that separate power units are employed for actuating the stayingunits at each corner of the box, the powerunits being identical and interchangeable, thereby lending themselves readily to the adjustments necessary forstaying boxes of different sizes and proportions. Each power unit also provides separate means for feeding the stay strip for the corresponding box corner, thereby further simplifying the structure, all as will hereinafter fully appear, with reference to the accompanying dr awings,

Whichl Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a machine embodying my invention, thestaok of box blanks being removed. l r v Fig. 2 is a plan viewof the parts shown inFig.1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to'Fig. 1, with the staying units removed to show .the other parts. l

Fig. 4 is a view in and elevation ofthe parts shown in Fig. 3, looking-in the direction of the stack of box blanks.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the box'form show- 7 ing the blank folders.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the box form. Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of the forward part of one of the staying units.

Fig. 7a is a fragmentary view showing,

some of the parts of Fig. 7

sition.

Fig. 8 is a. horizontal sectional line 8-8 of Fig.7.

Fig. '9 is a vertical sectional view on the line 99 of Fig. 8. I Fig. 10 is a detail view of the latch device for the feed slide. 7 I

i Fig. 11 is an enlarged sectional View showin a different poview on the ing the magneticconstruction of a staying I unit.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic view showing.

'2, although the angular relation between. the

arms 20. and 34 can be varied, as will be hereinafter described. I y

Each of the arms 2a and 3a terminates in a substantially horizontal flange portion 5, upon which is mounted a power unit, and inasmuch as all the power units are identical in construction, only one need be described in detail, with reference to Fig. 1 and to Fig. 7, which illustrates a unit, .on an enlarged scale. i

Each power unit consists of a casing 6 surrounding a solenoid or v electromagnet 7:

through which extends an armature in the form'of a plunger8. The plunger 8 is slidably supported in bearings 9 carried by the unit casing, and its outer end is surrounded by a spring 10 which holds the plunger retracted. The plunger 8 also carries a pressing element 11 which is adapted t be moved toward the center of the machine when the magnet 7 is energized. Each pressing element 11 is provided with a vertical groove 12, the sides of which are substantially at right angles to each other, so that when plunger 8 is moved, the groove 12 of each pressing element 11 is adapted to register with a corner of a rectangular box form 13, as shown in its lowered position in Fig; .1.

.As best shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the box form 13 is carried by a vertical shaft 14 slidable within the trunnion 4, and the lower end of the shaft provides a roller 15 which is in engagement with a cam 16 mounted on a shaft 17 extending at right angles to the box form shaft 14. The shaft 17 is journalled in the base 1, which provides an opening 18 for the cam 16, se e Fig. 4, the shaft 17 extending beyond the base 1 and carrying a worm wheel 19. The worm wheel 19 is in mesh with aworm 20 carried on the shaft 21 of an electric motor 22, so that operation of the motor 22 is adapted to cause cam shaft 17 to turn at a considerably reduced speed. As

shown in Fig. 3, the cam 16 is so formed that one revolution of the shaft 17 will cause the box form 13 to be raised to its dotted line position in Fig. 1- and remain there an appre- 'ciable time before it is lowered to the full.

one revolution of the shaft 17.

As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, a stack of box blanks 23 is supported in the angle between the pair of arms 2a and 3a by an arm 24 forming part of the base 1; The arm 24 provides a table portion 24d which is adapted to support the lowermost blank 23 sub- 'stantially flush with the top of the box form 13 when the latter is in the lowermost position, and a push-oil member 25, slidable in the arm 24a), is adapted to deliver the blanks 23, one by one, to the top of the box form 13. The push-01f member 25 is adapted to receive a reciprocating motion, by reason of its connection to an oscillating lever 26, pivotally supported on a pin 27 extending through a slotted bracket 28. The lower end of the lever 26 is connected to one end of a plunger 29 by means of a link 30, the plunger being slidably mounted in a guide 31. .The other end of the plunger 29 extends beneath the shaft 17 and carries a roller 29a in position to be engaged by a cam 32 carried by the shaft 17. i p

When the cam 32 engages the end of the plunger 29 it imparts a longitudinal movement thereto, which causes a movement of the push-off 25 in the direction of the box form 13. Vhen the plunger 29 has reached the end of its stroke, the cam 32 leavesthe plunger 29 and the plunger 29 is returned to its original position by means of a spring 33, which movesthe plunger 29 to the right. The angular relation of the cams 16 and 32 on the shaft 17 is such that with the shaft 17 starting to rotate from the position shown in Fig. 3, the push-off 25 completes its movement toward the box form 13 before the latter starts its upward movement. Consequently a box blank 23 is removed from the stack and positioned on the box form 13 at the beginning of each upward movement of the box form 13.

As the box form 13 is moved upwardly into the space between the four pressing elements llit carries'a blank 23 into engagement with a set of folding fingers '34 supported just above the top of the box form 13 when it is in its lowered position, see Fig. 6. As shown in Fig. 5, the fingers 34 are carried on slotted bars. 35 adjustably connected by pins 35a received in arms 36 extending diagonally inward from, the presser unit supporting flanges 5. The slot and pin connection of the bars 35 permits the fingers 34 to be adjusted for folding blanks of different size. As the box form .13 carries a blank 23 upwardly, the sides 23a of the blank are engaged by the fingers 34 which serve'to fold the sides downwardly as shown in, Fig. 6. With this folding arrangement, the box form 13 reaches the upper limit of its movement with the sides 23a of the blank. folded down and held in position for the, attachment of. the corner stays thereto by the pressing elements 11. As previously pointed out, the cam 16 is so formed that the box form 13, with the folded blank thereon, will remain in its upper posit-ion an appreciable time, during which the staying units operate to feed the stay material and aflix it to the four corners of the box,,as will now be described.

As best shown in'Figs. 1, and 7, the plunger 8 of each staying unit is adapted to carry forward an upwardly extending bracket 37, at the end of which a feed roll. 38 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 39. The bracket 37 provides an extension 40 at the end of which an idler roll-.41 is 'rotatably supported, the function of the roll 41 being to hold the stay material 42 in engagement with the periphery 1...-

of the feed roll 38. The guide roll 41 is loosely supported on the bracket. extension 40 by means of ashaft 43 received in open slots 44,-so that the roll 41, by reason of its weight, exerts just enough pressure to hold the stay strip 42 in engagement with the feed roll 38.

The feed roll 38 isada-pted to be turned by means of a pulley 45. around which passes a cable 46, one end of which is connected tl the pulley 45. The other end of the cable 46 is connected to a'slide 47 vertically adjustable within a cylindrical casing 48 pivotally mounted on a pin 49 carried on a lug 5O extending from'the magnet casing 6. The lower end of casing 48 carries a pivoted latch 51 received in a notch 52provided in a stud 53 projecting from the plunger 8. With this connection it is apparent that when the plunger 8 is moved in the direction of the box form 13,the casing 48 will be turned about its pin 49 and the cable 46'acting on the pulley 45, will cause the feed roll 38 to be turned in a counterclockwise direction and thereby feed the stay strip 42 downwardly. The amount of stay strip 42 which will be thus fed is determined by the angle through which the feed roll 38 is turned by the pulley 45, and this rota-tive movement is in turn dependent upon the position of the fixed end of the cable 46 on the casing 48. That is to say, for a given longitudinal movement ofthe plunger 8 the amount of stay strip fcdsimultaneously with this movement will be determined by the position of the slide 47 on the casing 48.

F or purposes of illustrationthe vertical adjustment of the slide 47 is obtained by means of a threaded rod 54 extending through the slide 47, the end of the rod 54extending outside the casing48 and providing a head 55 whereby the rod 54 may be turned to shift the slide 47 vertically on the casing 48. Ohviously this vertical adjustment of the slide 47 could be accomplished by means other than that shown for the purpose of changing the position of the stationary point of attachment of the cable 46 with respect to the pulley 45. After the pulley 45 has been turned by the cable 46 to cause the roll 38 to feed the stay strip, the pulley 45 is returned to its original position by means of a spring 56, surrounding the shaft 39 and acting on the pulley 45. However, this return movement of the pulley 45 is not imparted to the feed roll 38 for the reason that a clutching device is interposed. between the roll 38 and the pulley 45 which imparts the rotative movement of the pulley 45 to the roll 38, only when the pulley 45 is turned in a counterclockwise direction.

The one way clutch devicebetween the pulley 45 and the roll 38 may be of any desired type and is shown partially in Fig. 7 as consisting of a number of rollers 57 carried in pockets 58 in a cage 59 rotatablewith the pulley 45. When the pulley 45 is turned in a counterclockwise direction, the rollers 57 are forced in wedging engagement with the inner periphery of a rim 60 provided by the feed roll 38, so that rotation of the pulley is imparted to the roll 38. However, when the pulley 45 is turned in a clockwise direction on its return no rotative movement is im-' parted to the roll 38 by reason of the fact that the rollers 57 are then free to bottom in the pockets 58.

As shown in Fig. 1, a supply of stay material 42 is carried by a reel 61 mounted on a bracket 62 which in turn is'supported by mounted that its periphery is always partially engaged, by the inner surface of the stay material 42,- whereby the latter is moistened before it passes between the feed rolls. The box 64 may be supplied with either a liquid adhesive or, when the strip material is already covered with adhesive, obviously water will suflice.

Aspreviously pointed out, energization of any one of the solenoids 7 will cause the corresponding pressing element 11 to be moved toward a corner. of the box form 13, and means are provided for carrying the bracket '37 with the feed roll 38 apredetermined distance toward the box form 13 when a plunger .8 is so moved. As best shown in Fig. 7, the bracket 37 providesa base 37a which is slida'bly mounted between guides .66 provided by the bearing 9. The base 37a provides a tail portion 67 carrying a pin 68 on which is mounted a collar 69 having a tooth 7 O. The tooth 7 0' is engaged by a resilient finger 71 carried by the pressing element 11, the head 71a of the finger 71 engaging the toothso that the bracket 37 is moved with the pressing element 11 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7. A downwardly extending arm 72 is also mounted on the; pin

68, so as to turn with the collar 69, and the weight of this arm? 2 tends to hold the tooth 70 in engagement with the head 71a. The lower end of the arm 72 carries a set screw 73, the outer end of which is normally in en- WVith the parts in the position shown in Fig. 7, the forward movement of the finger 71 with the pressing element 11 initially causes the tooth 70 to turn slightly in a clockwise direction, but before the tooth 70 is disengaged from the head 71a of the finger 71, the set screw 73, turning on a much larger radius than the tooth 70 hits the portion 9a of the stationary bearing 9. Since the arm 72 and with it the tooth 70 can then turn no farther in a clockwise direction the continued movement of the presser element 11 is transmitted to the feed roll bracket 37 through theengaged tooth 70. As this combined movement continues the arm 72 is turned in a counterclockwise direction by the pressure of the stationary bearing portion 94, until the tooth 7O cams down the head 71a to disengage'itself therefrom, the finger 71 yielding downwardly to permit this. The parts then occupy the position shown in Fig. 7a. hen this occurs, the pressing element will continue its movement toward the box form 13 to the end of its stroke, while the feed roll bracket 37 will remain stationary. As the feed roll 38 moves forward, the pulley 45 will cause it to feed a predetermined amount of strip material 42 downwardly into the notch 12 in the pressing element 11,

down edges of the box on the box form 13, thereby staying a'corner. The plate 7 6is.

caused to move with the bracket 37 by means of a pin 76a, a stud 93 received in a slot 94. in

the plate 76 serving to keep the plate 76 parallel during its forward movement.

The outline of the groove 12 in the pressing element 11 is shown in dotted lines,Fig. 8, from which the cutting action of the forwardly moving pressing element 11 isquite clear. The dwell in-the movement of the plate 76 insures that the strip material will not be moved when the cutting is taking place. Obviously the exact point in the stroke of the plunger 8 that the feed roll bracket 37 stops'moving, can be determined by the position of the set screw 73 on the arm 72.

.As previously pointed out, the casing 48 is turned about the pin i9 by reason of its connection to the stud 53 on the plunger'8, and this turning movement is also adapted to be arrested before the plunger 8 reaches the end of its stroke. When the plunger 8 moves to the left from the position in Fig. 7,

the latch 51 automatically cams itself out of the notch 52, due to the fact that the pin 53 moves in av straight line while the latch 51 swings on the axis of the pivot pin 49, thereby stopping the feed of the strip material at substantially the same time that the bracket 37 stops its movement. On the return of the plunger 8 following the application of a stay strip, the latch 51 re-engages the notch 52 and is held therein by the spring 51a. On the return of the plunger 8 carrying the pressing element 11 the head 71a returns the feed roll bracket 37 to its original position by its engagement with the downward extending portion 67. of the feed roll bracket base 37a. This return movement of the base 37a is limited by stops on the guides 66, so that when the tail portion 67 can move no further the finger 71 yields downwardly and thus re-en gages the tooth 70.

From the foregoing it is apparent that each time the motor 22 drives the shaft 17 through a complete revolution, a blank 23 is removed from the bottom of the stack and positioned on the top of the box form .13. Upon upward movement .of the box form 13 the sides are folded down so as to present the four unstayed corners of the box to the pressing elements. The cam 16 is so formed as to hold the folded box in its upper position an appreciable length of time, during which the This plate 76 7 pressing units are simultaneously energized to cause each element 11 to move toward a box'corner, while a moistened strip is fed downwardly into the groove 12, severed, and

carried forward into engagement with the corner of the box. Each staying unit is energized long enough to cause the stay strip to be applied with a: sustained pressure, after which the'units are de-energized.

As shown diagrammatically in Fig. 12 the several solenoid windings 7 are adapted to be energized when the box form 13 reaches its upward'position and to be de-energized just before the box form 13 starts to move downwardly. The electrical control is shown as being effected by a contact disk 77 on the shaft 17, although obviously the control may be effected in other ways. (See Figs. 4, 12.)

Referring to Fig. 11, there is shown on an enlarged scale the detail construction of one of the power units in which the solenoid winding 7 is encased in a magneticyoke 78. A laminated armature 79 is shown movable within the winding 7, the armature providing a head 80 which is normally held retracted within the bearing housing 9 by the spring 10. Thus the end of the armature 79 s separated from the core 81 by aspace which 1s slightly more than the stroke ofthe plunger 8. Vhen the winding 7 is energized the armature 79 is attracted to the core 81 to close the air gap and this movement of the armature 79v is imparted to the plunger 8 through non-magnetic plates 82 extending through the yoke 78 and secured to the plunger 8 by bolts 83. Obviously. modifications can be made in the exact struc ture of the power unit and the same results could be obtained by using a fluid or gaseous pressure medium and a piston to move the plunger 8. v

In order to adjust the pressing units cooperating on boxes of different sizes and proportions, one pair of arms 2a and 3a are con nected by an adjusting shaft 841, shown in Fig. 3. The shaft 84 is provided with oppositelythreaded portions 85in pivotal en 'a e ment with the arms 2a and 3a by DIGHTISDOT threaded swivels 85a and 856 respectively so that by turning the shaft 84; by means of a handle 86, the two-armed brackets 2 and 3 can be pivotally moved about the trunnion 4 in either direction. This places the pressmg units in different positions at the corners of adiiferent rectangle, whereby the pressing elements are adapted to operate on a box of that particular size. Obviously different boxformscan be used as desired, and the cas1ng6 of each power unit is longitudinally adjustalde on its supporting flange 5, by means of a pivot bolt 87 received in an elongated slot 88 in the flange 5. This permits the units to be adjusted independently with respect to the bracket arms 2a and 3d. As shown in Fig. 11 the pivot bolt 87 pro- 19 the pivot bolt 87 about a vertical axis when the brackets 2 and 3 are adjusted on the main vertical axis of the machine.

As shown in Fig. 3, the push-off member 25 which is adapted to feed the box blanks over the box form 13, carries upwardly extending arms 89 which terminate in front of the blank stack in a finger 90. This finger 90 moves with the push-off 25 and is adapted to remove finished stayed boxes from above the box form 13 and cause them to move down a slide 91, thus clearing the completed boxes from the machine. Obviously, other means may be employed for clearing the finished boxes from the machine; without departing from my invention. 7

When the box form 13 is moved downwardly following the staying of the corners of a box, the serrated folding fingers 34 shown in Fig. 6 hold the sides of the completed box that the box form 13 in its lowered position is free to receive the next blank when it is delivered in a horizontal plane above the box form 13. Therefore when the box form with 5 a fresh blank thereon is again raised, the new blank forces the completed box between the fingers 3 1 upwardly, the fingers 34 oifering no resistance to upward movement of the sides of the box. As the box form 13 reaches the upper end of its stroke to complete the fold ing of the new blank, the completed box is loosely supported above the unstayed box, just folded, in a position to be in the path of movement of the clearing finger 90 as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Consequently when the finger 90 again moves with the member 25 the completed box is pushed on to the slide 91 and so clears itself from the machine. i

Referring again to Fig. 2 it will be seen that in order to insure automatically the relative angular position of all the staying units each pair of units is provided with a rigid connecting rod 92 slidably fitted nto a groove cut in the base of the unit caslng, or otherwise attached to it, in such a manner as to make an angle of 45 with the units main axis. It is obvious that an adjustment of the brackets 2 and 3 will cause the units to rotate on the pivot 87, but only relatively to the brackets. Substantially the units will always remain parallel to their original position, so that the sides of the vertlcal groove 12in the pressing element 11 will invariably register with the corner of the box form,

between them, as indicated in dotted lines so whatever the size, or proportion of the sides ofthebox may be.

- 1. .In a machine for applying stay strips to the four corners of a box, a pair. of pivotally mounted brackets, each carrying opposed pressing elements operable byseparate power units. I p p 2. In a machine for applying stay strips to the four corners of a box, a pair of pivotally mounted brackets, each carrying opposed pressing elements operable by separate power units, and means for adjusting said brackets toposition the pressing elements for operation on boxesof different dimensions. 7 f3. Ina machine for applying stay strips to the four corners of a box, a pair of pivotal-v ly mounted brackets, each carrying similar interchangeable power units providing opposedpressing elements operable on diagonally opposite corners of a box, and means for adjusting said brackets about theirpivotal axis to position the pressingelements for operation on boxes of different dimensions. j

1. In a machine for applying stay strips tothefour corners of a box, a pair of piv otallyinounted brackets, each carryingsimilar interchangeable power units providing opposed pressing elements operable on diag ojnally opposite corners of a box, means for adjusting saidbrackets about said pivotal axis, and, means for adjusting said power units on said brackets whereby to adapt said pressing 'elements for operation on boxes of different dimensions and proportions. 1

,5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a source of. power, apedestal, a box form verticallymovable on said pedestalby said source of power, and brackets pivoted on said pedestal about an axis coinciding with that of the box form, of pow,- er units carried by said brackets, each providing apressing element adapted to coincide with a corner of the boxform when the latter is in its raised position. 6. Ina machine of the class described, the combinationwith a source of power, a pedess tal, a box form. vertically movable on said pedestal by said/source of power, and brack jets pivoted on said pedestal about an axis 00- V inciding'w'ith that of the box form, of power umts carried by said brackets, each providing a pressing element movable toward a corner combination with a source of power, a pedestal, a box form vertically movable on said pedestal by said source of power, and brackets pivoted on said-pedestal about an axis coinciding with that of the box form, of electromagnetic power units carried by said brackets, each providing a pressing element I movable toward a corner of the box form, and means for simultaneously energizing all of said power units to cause said pressing elements to engage the corners of the box form when the latter is moved to its upper position by said source of power.

8. In a four corner box staying machine, the combination with a source of power, a box form vertically movable from'a lower to an upper position from said power source, means for removing the lowermost blank from a stack of flat box blanks and positioning it on said box form when the latter is in it'slower position, and means for folding the sides of said box blank downwardly when said box form is moved into its upper posi tion, :of brackets pivotally supported about the vertical axis of said box form, and power units carried by said brackets, each providing a pressing element adaptedto engage a corner provided by the folded box blankwhen the box form is in its upper position.

9. In a machine of the class described,a

power unit comprising a casing surrounding a solenoid winding, an armature extendmg longitudlnally through sald wlnding and normally retracted from the core of said winding by spring means, and a plunger coaxial with said armature carrying at its end a a staying element, said plunger being con nected to said armature by non-magnetic means whereby the motion of said armature isimpar'ted to said plunger when the winding is energized.

10; In a four corner box staying machine, the combination with a rotatably driven shaft,a base, a box form vertically movable on said base by the rotation of said shaft,

and brackets adj ustably mounted on said base and arranged symmetrically about an axis coinciding with that of the box form, of power' units carried by and adjustable on said brackets, each providing a pressing'element movable, toward a corner of said box form, and means comprising a single actuating member carried by and rotatable with said shaft for simultaneously operating saidunits to cause all of said pressing elements to move in unison to engage the corners of said box form, the said power units being adapted for, adjustment on said brackets and said brackets being adapted for adjustment on said base for operation of said pressing elements on box forms of different dimensions, without requiring adjustment of the opera tive connection between said actuating member and said power units.

GREGORYJBRODSKYY. 

